Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary
Flinders Ranges, South Australia
Sillers Lookout - Arkaroola's famous 4WD 'Ridgetop Tour'
Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary:
Located 600km north of Adelaide and 130km east of Leigh Creek, and in the ruggedly spectacular northern Flinders Ranges, this 610sq km multi award-winning Wilderness Sanctuary, operated by the Sprigg family, contains some of Australia's most spectacular mountain views and offers numerous Advanced Ecotourism accredited guided tours.
Arkaroola features rugged mountains, towering granite peaks, magnificent gorges and mysterious waterholes, the home to over 160 species of birds and the shy and endangered Yellow-footed Rock-wallaby.
Arkaroola is a mecca for bushwalkers and four wheel drivers. The spectacular Advanced Ecotourism accredited rugged 4WD Ridgetop Tour is world famous; journey to the depths of ancient seabeds and across razor-back ridges and peaks of the Flinders Ranges most rugged mountains to the magnificent climax at Sillers Lookout.
Being the first Flinders Ranges tourist organisation to achieve the coveted Advanced Ecotourism accreditation, and with now a total of eleven such products available for you to enjoy, Arkaroola is truly unique. Our third successive S.A. Tourism Award win for Ecotourism (November 2007), saw Arkaroola awarded the coveted Hall of Fame, and is undoubtedly South Australia's premier ecotourism destination.
Where Are We?
These two maps indicate Arkaroola's location in the northern Flinders Ranges, 600 kilometres north of Adelaide in South Australia:
Most visitors tend to travel to Arkaroola via Leigh Creek and Copley, a trip that is about 130km in distance. The road from Copley is unsealed but generally in excellent condition. The average driving time from Leigh Creek via Nepabunna is approximately 2 hours - certainly not the 5 hours as often quoted by Google Earth!
Arkaroola's Facilities:
Even though we are quite remote from the nearest town, you won't miss much in the way of comfort when staying at Arkaroola. Our facilities include:
Native Pine Restaurant
- Formal Dining in the Native Pine licensed restaurant
- Relax in the Pick & Shovel lounge bar
- BBQ facilities in Caravan Park
- Bush Camp fires are permitted (except during Total Fire Ban periods)
- Basic shop, fuel supplies and mechanical repairs
- LPG available for gas bottle refills; sorry, not for motor vehicles
- In-ground swimming pool, including adjacent BBQ area and licensed bar facilities
- Ningana Information Centre - our staff are ready to assist with every question you may have about the area
- A wide variety of motel-style accommodation to suit most budgets, including back-packers
- And no bothersome mobile phones! - we do have normal telephone services (including facsimile), and an Internet Cafe and a WiFi service to help you maintain contact with home.
Or, for pure self-indulgence, try our Banquet in the Bush, a sumptous five-course meal on the banks of Wywhyanna Creek beneath the steep and craggy Griselda Hill. Click here for more information about our facilities. Please note that there needs to be a minimum of 12 persons for the Banquet in the Bush.
We have a number of specials and travel packages currently available (our rates and tariffs ae also available at this location).
Success with SA Tourism Awards!
Arkaroola Village at Dusk
Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary has had the good fortune in winning several SA Tourism Awards - in particular, 2007 was a great year with wins in the following categories:
- Ecotourism - Hall of Fame (third successive win in this category)
- Major Tourist Attraction - Winner
- Sustainable Tourism - Winner
- Festivals and Events - for Arkaroola's Star Party DownUnder - Bronze Award.
Please see 'Breaking News' for more details - and about other news from Arkaroola.
From the ARK Newsletter:
Also available from the Breaking News page, you can download the latest Edition of our E-Newsletter, From the ARK, and read the latest news and information about a range of interesting facts about Arkaroola, including the contentious mining proposed on the property. (Previous editions are also available for downloading).
Please email marketing@arkaroola.com.au if you'd like your name added to our mail-out list (place 'Newsletter Subscription' in the subject line). If already on the list and you'd like to be removed, send 'Remove Newsletter' to the same email address.
Geological Wonderland:
Photograph by Peter MacDonald - Coulthard's Lookout Looking South-west
The magnificence of Arkaroola has been preserved for the world, thanks to one of Australia's greatest geologists and conservationists, the late Dr. Reg Sprigg, A.O D.Sc, h.c A.N.U. & Flinders Uni.
Reg's appreciation for the region dates back to 1940 when he studied the area as a student of the great Antarctic explorer Sir Douglas Mawson.
In 1967, Reg and Griselda Sprigg purchased what had become Arkaroola sheep station, re-establishing native flora and fauna, and transforming this special place into the spectacular private wilderness sanctuary that it is today.
Reg practiced ecotourism 30 years before the word was invented; he was truly a man of vision.
Astronomer's Heaven!
For professional, amateur or beginner, our three astronomical observatories, fitted with all manner of professional telescopes and other equipment, will keep you totally enthralled as the beauty of the Southern Hemisphere night skies open up for you.
Details of our Astronomical Observatories and equipment can be seen by clicking here; or information about our Astronomy Tours can be seen here. The same page also contains a monthly Star Chart for downloading.
Come and see this geological wonderland and astronomical heaven for yourself - we promise you won't be disappointed.
How do I get to Arkaroola?
As of 13 April 2010, a new coach service is available twice weekly from Adelaide to Arkaroola and return.
This service, provided by Genesis Tour & Charter, will depart from the Central Bus Station in Adelaide every Sunday and Thursday, and from Arkaroola for the return trip, every Monday and Friday.
The service travels through the mid-north of South Australia and is available for passenger and freight pick up and drop off at a large number of locations enroute - please click here for Genesis Tour & Charter time table.
Arkaroola offers package deals in association with Genesis Tours - please click here for details.
Other means of travelling to Arkaroola include:
- private vehicle
- 4WD and 2WD hire companies
- charter aircraft - please phone Arkaroola (freecall 1800 676 042) for more details
- private aircraft
- oranised coach tours - see your local travel agent for details or contact Arkaroola
If you have any questions at all, please don't hesitate to contact res@arkaroola.com.au or phone (08) 8648 4848.
Arkaroola Email Contacts:
- Senior Management / Administration: res@arkaroola.com.au
- Reservations: res@arkaroola.com.au
- Marketing and advertising (Peter Whellum): marketing@arkaroola.com.au
Arkaroola Internet Site designed and maintained by Peter Whellum, Arkaroola Marketing - site hosted by Froling Enterprises
